The present invention relates generally to server computers, and more particularly to error control mechanisms used in blade server environments.
Blade servers are modularized, dedicated servers configured on a board that include the necessary technology to perform the dedicated function of the particular server, but do not include many of the necessary functional features of a standalone server, such as a cooling fan, power supply, and the like. This minimized structure decreases the amount of space needed for the blade server, thus permitting many blade servers to be installed within a single chassis. A consequence and benefit of this minimalist space approach achieved through blade servers is greater processing functionality achieved in a given amount of rack space.
A blade enclosure or chassis can house several blade servers therein, and includes the shared services for the blades such as cooling, networking, power, interconnects, and the like that are otherwise not present in the individual blade servers. By locating these services in one place and sharing them amongst a group of blade computers, the space efficiency and utilization is enhanced.
While numerous blade servers can share certain resources, an error occurring on one blade server can impact other blade servers. Due to the number of blade servers operating within a particular computing environment, debugging an error condition can be time consuming and require many blade servers to be unnecessarily taken off-line while the error is fixed.
Thus, there is a need in the art to more efficiently debug errors occurring in a blade server environment.
It is a principal object and advantage of the present invention to provide a method, product, and system for streamlining the debugging process in a blade server computing environment.
It is another object and advantage of the present invention to provide a method, product, and system that enhances the efficiency of a blade server computing environment.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.